On October 17th, Fuzhou, a reporter from the China News Service reported that the Xiamen Immigration and Border Protection Station has revealed impressive statistics for the first three quarters of this year. A total of 1.424 million travelers have crossed between Fujian and Taiwan, representing a remarkable year-on-year increase of 74.6%. Specifically, 650,000 Taiwanese travelers entered Fujian, marking a 73.5% rise compared to last year.
This surge in cross-strait travel can be attributed to multiple factors: an increase in the frequency of “mini-three links” ferry services, the concentration of holidays in the first three quarters, and several cross-strait exchange activities that were held.
On September 22nd, at the Wutong Port in Xiamen, travelers were seen entering the inspection area to await processing. According to further statistics, from January to September, over 304,000 Taiwanese residents benefited from expedited customs services, and nearly 13,000 ferries made trips between Fujian and Taiwan, operating around the clock. The border protection authorities in Fujian inspected more than 3,400 flights connecting Fujian and Taiwan, handling around 502,000 passengers, which reflects a year-on-year increase of 42.1% and 45.0%, respectively. Furthermore, more than 6,400 ferry trips were inspected, catering to 937,000 passengers, yielding increases of 85.1% and 96.7% compared to the previous year. On October 13th, the Xiamen-Jinmen “mini-three links” ferry service recorded more than 5,000 border crossings in a single day, setting a new high since its resumption in 2023.
At the Wutong Passenger Terminal in Xiamen, the spacious and bright customs hall was bustling with activity, featuring 12 manual and 10 expedited channels to ensure quick processing for travelers. Huang Zhenliang, a regular on the Xiamen-Jinmen route, shared, “My roots are in Tong’an, Xiamen, and I come here almost every month to participate in cultural activities.”
Additionally, statistics from the Xiamen Immigration and Border Protection Station indicate that, in the first three quarters, a total of 5.726 million people crossed the border, reflecting a 60.2% year-on-year increase. Almost 400,000 foreign travelers entered through Fujian ports, showing a staggering growth of 118.2% compared to the same period in 2023, with 134,000 entering visa-free, which is over 19 times the previous year’s number.
